Of Wishes and Wildflowers
by xXxRavenXDameonxXx
Summary: The kits of Stonefur and Leopardstar, and Graystripe and Shadefrost are all apprentices of RiverClan now. Tigerstar's threat is gone, but even in times of "peace" there is darkness and trouble. All 7 their own challenges to face and destinies to fulfill... But will they be able to do it?
1. Allegiances

**Summary: **The kits of Stonefur and Leopardstar, and Graystripe and Shadefrost are all apprentices of RiverClan now. Tigerstar's threat is gone, but even in times of "peace" there is darkness and trouble. All 7 their own challenges to face and destinies to fulfill... But will they be able to do it?

Allegiances

RiverClan

Leader: **Leopardstar**- unusually spotted golden tabby she-cat with emerald green eyes  
Apprentice, Duskpaw

Deputy: **Graystripe**- long-haired gray tom, formerly of ThunderClan  
Apprentice, Redpaw

Medicine Cat: **Mudfur**- long-haired light brown tom  
Apprentice, Rushpaw

Warriors: **Blackclaw**- smoky black tom  
Apprentice, Willowpaw

**Heavystep**- thickset tabby tom  
Apprentice, Splashpaw

**Shadefrost**- very dark gray she-cat with blue eyes

**Loudbelly**- dark brown tom  
Apprentice, Pricklepaw

**Mosspelt**- tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

**Stormfur**- dark gray tabby tom with amber eyes  
Apprentice, Divepaw

**Feathertail**- light gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Apprentices: **Redpaw**- dark red-brown tom with amber eyes

**Rushpaw**- small, dark tortoiseshell tom with a white underbelly and paws and stunning, bright blue eyes

**Willowpaw**- dark blue-gray she-cat with pale green eyes

**Pricklepaw**- fluffy ginger she-cat with silver-white spots and green eyes

**Divepaw**- dark gray tabby tom with ice blue eyes

**Splashpaw**- silver tabby tom with dark gray and black markings and green eyes

**Duskpaw**- night black she-cat with amber eyes

Queens: **Mistyfoot**- gray she-cat with blue eyes, mother of Blackclaw's kits, (Reedkit- skinny black tom), (Petalkit- pale golden she- cat), and (Ripplekit- black and white tom)

Elders: **Troutwhisker**- patchy brown tom

**Thymewing**- pale gray tabby she-cat

**Greenflower**- dark tabby she-cat with unusual green eyes

* * *

ThunderClan

Leader: **Firestar**- handsome ginger tom with green eyes

Deputy: **Dustpelt**- dark brown tabby tom

Medicine Cat: **Cinderpelt**- fluffy dark gray she-cat

Warriors: **Longtail**- pale tabby tom, dark black stripes  
Apprentice, Sootpaw

**Mousefur**- small dusky-brown she-cat

**Brackenfur**- golden brown tabby tom

**Sandstorm**- pale ginger she-cat  
Apprentice, Sorrelpaw

**Frostfur**- beautiful white she-cat, blue eyes

**Goldenflower**- pale ginger she-cat

**Cloudtail**- long-haired white tom  
Apprentice, Sootpaw

**Brightheart**- white she-cat, ginger splotches

**Brambleclaw**- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

**Ashfur**- pale gray (with darker flecks) tom with blue eyes

**Ferncloud**- pale gray (with darker flecks) she-cat with green eyes

Apprentices: **Sorrelpaw**- tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes

**Rainpaw**- dark gray tom with blue eyes

**Sootpaw**- lighter gray tom with amber eyes

* * *

ShadowClan

Leader: **Lightningstar**- pale silver and black tabby tom with pale green eyes

Deputy: **Sleetfur**- small dark gray tabby tom with blue eyes  
Apprentice, Cedarpaw

Medicine Cat: **Littlecloud**- very small tabby tom

Warriors: **Oakfur**- small brown tom  
Apprentice, Tawnypaw

**Boulder**- skinny gray tom  
Apprentice, Rowanpaw

**Frostheart**- big snowy white tom  
Apprentice, Blinkpaw

**Slipstep**- gray tabby she-cat with a dark brown underbelly and legs

**Crowflight**- pale gray tabby tom

**Leafwhisker**- light brown tabby tom with a white chest and paws  
Apprentice, Hailpaw

**Whispertail**- dappled silver and white tabby she-cat  
Apprentice, Icepaw

Apprentices: **Cedarpaw**- dark gray tom

**Rowanpaw**- dark ginger tom

**Tawnypaw**- tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

**Blinkpaw**- small black tom with ice blue eyes

**Hailpaw**- light silvery-gray tabby tom with dark blue eyes

**Icepaw**- pretty white she-cat with pale green eyes

Queens: **Tallpoppy**- long-legged light brown tabby she-cat, mother of (Thistelkit- light brown tabby-and-white she-cat) and (Lizardkit- dark brown tabby tom)

* * *

WindClan

Leader: **Tallstar**- black and white tom, very long tail

Deputy: **Mudclaw**- mottled dark brown tom  
Apprentice, Crowpaw

Medicine Cat: **Barkface**- short-tail brown tom

Warriors: **Webfoot**- dark gray tabby tom  
Apprentice, Robinpaw

**Tornear**- tabby tom

**Onewhisker**- brown tabby tom  
Apprentice, Skypaw

**Runningbrook**- light gray tabby she-cat

**Ashfoot**- gray she-cat

Apprentices: **Crowpaw**- dark gray, almost black tom with blue eyes

**Robinpaw**- light brown tabby she-cat

**Skypaw**- pale gray and white she-cat

Queens: **Morningflower**- tortoiseshell she-cat

**Whitetail**- small white she-cat, mother of Tornear's kits, (Tumblekit- dark brown tabby tom), (Falconkit- dark gray tabby tom) and (Heatherkit- white she-cat with blue eyes


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Everything was calm. The nearby river flowing peacefully past the pebbly shore, the reeds whispering in the wind… The target—standing in barely paw-deep water—was completely unaware. Suddenly, a reddish brown blur leapt from the nearby willow, landing heavily on the tortoiseshell tom below and earning a startled, "Oomph!" from the smaller cat.

"Got ya…!" Redpaw teased, dancing a few steps away to allow his brother to get up and shake the water from his fur—just in case he decided to retaliate.

""You're never going to grow up, are you?"

The taunt came from further upstream, where Willowpaw was trotting towards the toms, her nose and tail in the air.

"You took the words right out of my mouth…" Rushpaw mumbled, casting his brother a moody glare before continuing his hunt for medicinal herbs. Redpaw just rolled his eyes.

"What's it to you, Willowpaw? Aren't you supposed to be hunting for the elders?" The red-brown tom joined his sister on dry land, already missing the feel of the river tugging at his paws.

She tossed her head. "Nope! That's Pricklepaw, Divepaw, and Splashpaw's job today."

Redpaw tilted his head. "That's right…" He mewed, thinking back to the younger kits' apprentice ceremonies, which had been held only the day before. "So what are we supposed to be doing?"

"_I'm_ hunting, then meeting Blackclaw and Mosspelt for the sunhigh patrol. Graystripe told me to tell you he needs you to meet him by the training stream. Something about battle train-"

"Yes!" Redpaw didn't let his sister finish, already bounding away. "See you later, Rushpaw!" He called, and to Willowpaw, "Have fun on patrol!" Not wasting another second of his deputy and mentor's time, Redpaw ran all the way to the stream bed that they use for most of their training. It was a source of water and tactical training, as well as having even, level ground all around it.

"Graystripe, I'm ready!"

As Redpaw burst into the clearing, Graystripe purred, and Redpaw noticed Leopardstar sitting next to him, and a few tail lengths away, Duskpaw. The night black she-cat looked up at him through curious amber eyes, and he mewed a greeting.

"Leopardstar wanted to start Duskpaw out with some beginning battle training." Graystripe explained, beckoning his apprentice to join them with his tail. "I offered to have you help, since you've been on hunting duty for the past few days and we haven't had as much time for it."

Redpaw nodded, slipping from his former enthusiasm into a focused determination. He had vowed on the day he was apprenticed, after the terrible fight against Tigerstar, that he would become as great of a warrior as his father, and to make him proud. Every training opportunity he got added to that goal.

"Alright. Where are we starting?"

Leopardstar flicked her tail, and Redpaw approached Duskpaw, crouching in front of her with his eyes narrowed playfully. More than once he took a moment to remind himself that Duskpaw had only just become and apprentice, and that she wasn't nearly as fierce of an opponent as Willowpaw.

"Attack him." Leopardstar commanded, and he saw Duskpaw tense, her eyes frantically targeting all of her possible options. Finally, they locked on his shoulders, and he suppressed an amused purr. _Obvious, Duskpaw…_ Taking a deep breath, the smaller she-cat leaped, and Redpaw quickly swerved out of the way, giving a gentle nudge as she went flying past him.

"Don't look where you're going to attack. That time your eyes gave you away." He suggested, helping her regain her paws as she stood back up. Graystripe gave an approving nod.

"Exactly."

"Try again." Leopardstar instructed. So she did, aiming low this time, though she kept her eyes focused on his shoulders. Expecting it again, Redpaw reared onto his hind legs, backing up a few paces and let her land in front of him before mockingly dropping his weight on top of her slender shoulders, carefully timing it so none of his weight truly landed on her, but her pinned her down instead.

"Is this how you would be fighting if Divepaw or Splashpaw had nipped your tail?" He meowed, letting her up again.

"No…" She huffed, looking away, and Redpaw cuffed her playfully on the ears.

"Come on." He urged her playfully. "Act like I'm an enemy warrior that just stole your fresh-kill. What would you-" Before the older apprentice could finish speaking, Duskpaw barreled into him, landing all four paws and bowling him right over. They tussled for a moment before Redpaw regained his footing and used his greater size and experience to subdue her.

"That was much better." Graystripe purred, his eyes glowing with equal pride for his daughter and his apprentice.

"The element of surprise." Leopardstar added with an approving nod. "Well done. Now…" The dappled tabby joined them and began explaining technique, and Graystripe flicked his ears as a sign for Redpaw to go with him, so the red-brown tom got up and followed, stopping right on the edge of the water surrounding their camp.

"We're joining a hunting patrol." The deputy explained when they stopped, and Redpaw nodded.

"Who else is on it?"

"Loudbelly and Pricklepaw."

Redpaw couldn't help his whiskers twitching in amusement. Pricklepaw was without a doubt the most outspoken of his mentor's kits, always diving into things head first and never one to stay put when told to.

"This should be interesting." He purred, and Graystripe's own whiskers twitched.

"So we're going hunting? What are we going to catch? Can I learn how to fish today? What about swimming? What's Duskpaw doing? What about Sunningrocks? Where _are_ we going anyways?"

Redpaw burst into laughter as he heard Pricklepaw emerging from the camp entrance, and the ginger-and-silver she-cat spun to look at him with wide green eyes.

"We're patrolling with Graystripe and Redpaw?"

Loudbelly sighed. "Yes." He mewed patiently. "We're going to catch prey, hopefully, maybe fish, and you're still too small to swim the river. To get to Sunningrocks—if we go—we'll cross the stepping stones."

"Oh." Pricklepaw shrugged, and Redpaw flicked his ears in greeting as they fell into step behind their mentors.

"So how's training been so far?" He mewed, giving her a friendly nudge.

"Good, I guess." She shrugged again. "Loudbelly has already told me so much, I don't know if I can ever remember it all…"

Redpaw's tail curled, and he blinked reassuringly at her. "Don't worry." He mewed. "It gets easier. Pretty soon fishing and swimming will be second nature to you, and fighting will be as easy as stretching when you wake up in the morning."

Pricklepaw purred in amusement this time, seeming much more relaxed, then, "Oh! Have you seen Mistyfoot's kits? They're so cute!"

Redpaw tilted his head. "Not yet. How are they?"

"Cute!" The she-cat insisted. "She had two toms and a she-cat, Reedkit, Ripplekit, and Petalkit. Blackclaw was with her all last night and this morning, until she finally gave him a cuff around the ears and told him to stop slacking off and go train his apprentice."

Redpaw mewed a small agreement, wondering if that's why Willowpaw had been so snippy earlier that morning. It had to suck to be put on hunting duty so that your mentor could spend time with his mate and newborn kits.

When they got to the edge of the river, Rushpaw was still there, sorting through the herbs he had picked on the bank, separating them into easy to carry bundles. The small dark tortoiseshell looked up as they approached, mumbling a greeting before returning to his work, his snowy white chest, underbelly, and paws seeming that much brighter white after spending the morning digging for herbs in the river shallows.

Loudbelly stopped at the edge of the river, where it sloped into a deeper, fish-filled area, while Graystripe motioned Redpaw to follow him to the stepping stones.

"Can't we swim…?" He asked quietly, mindful of Loudbelly trying to get Pricklekit to focus on listening and keeping her shadow from falling in the water.

Graystripe shook his head. "No. We don't want to scare away all of the fish while Pricklepaw is still trying to learn. Now come on, we'll cross over to Sunningrocks and see what we can catch there, maybe I'll do a bit of history for you."

Redpaw nodded, obediently following his mentor across the river and up the shore to Sunningrocks. The new-leaf sun danced on the smooth stones, and Graystripe purred contently, lying down and stretching out across the rocks. He motioned for Redpaw to do the same.

"Now," Graystripe began. "A long time ago, the river flowed differently, encircling Sunningrocks as an island only accessible by RiverClan. Through years of freezing, thawing, and drought, the current changed, sweeping it farther towards the gorge that forms the WindClan border until Sunningrocks was no long an island, but land that ThunderClan could reach as well. So they wanted it. Many years of fighting back and forth, and legendary battles-"

"Like when Redtail and Oakheart were killed?" Redpaw piped up, lifting his head from his relaxed position to fix Graystripe with a curious amber gaze. The big gray tom nodded.

"Yes, like when Redtail and Oakheart were killed. Until now, after a raid lead after RiverClan rescued ThunderClan from the fire, we won it back. Hopefully for good now… The sun feels nice…"

Redpaw mumbled an agreement, before a faint sound caught his ears, and he sat up slowly, easily scenting vole. Graystripe watched him through alert amber eyes, not missing a single move the apprentice made.

Slowly, Redpaw crept forward, pinpointing where the tiny creature was scrabbling among the rocks. Timing it perfectly, he pounced straight over the boulder in front of him—which was easily twice his size—and landed almost silently on the other side, reemerging a few moments later with a plump vole in his jaws.

"Nice catch!" Graystripe praised him warmly, and Redpaw felt his heart glowing with pride. "I never thought you would just jump over it like that. That was well done." His whiskers twitched. "Now see if you can catch another one."

Redpaw rolled his eyes, but set the vole down and sat next to it, his ears pricked and his mouth open to taste the air. Hunting was easy, fighting was natural, and swimming was as much of a necessity as breathing or eating. He was a RiverClan apprentice. One that was going to make his whole Clan proud…!

* * *

Rushpaw trekked wearily back to camp with his last mouthful of herbs, deep in thought as he traveled by the light of the setting sun. Things had been so peaceful since Tigerstar's death, and RiverClan was making a bounding recovery from a dark, dark time, but… Even through moons of training, the same dreams kept haunting him… The same flickering, confusing images that he saw at his apprentice ceremony at the Moonstone returned almost every night. The smell of fresh rain, tampered by hints of rotting crow-food. The bitter tang of the Thunderpath and its monsters, which Rushpaw could taste even after waking up.

The tortoiseshell gave himself a rough shake, reminding himself as he entered the camp that Mudfur said that once he brought in the last bunch, he also had to _sort_ them all.

_There's no time to think about it now… But…_ As he lingered on the thought, he could feel it, like walking across Sunningrocks, like his paws were traveling not over the well-worn RiverClan camp but a land of rough, unforgiving stone. He shook his head again, almost running into Mudfur as the older brown tom emerged from the Medicine Den.

"There you are…!" Mudfur exclaimed, shaking his head. "I was beginning to wonder if the herbs had collected _you_."

Rushpaw rolled his eyes, setting down his bundle. "No, Mudfur. I was just…" He looked away, realizing that while his mentor's tone was light, it was also stern. "…Thinking." The tortoiseshell finished lamely with a shrug, before bending to lick his snowy white chest fur.

"Hm. Well next time think _while_ you sort the herbs. It looks like now it's going to have to be done tomorrow." Mudfur shrugged as well, but Rushpaw gaped up at him.

"But you said-"

Mudfur shrugged again, though his eyes were deep with knowledge. "There are many things to do, as a medicine cat, and it seems that your next lesson is going to be prioritizing these things, Rushpaw. You're already an excellent healer, but there's more to it than that. Tomorrow, we'll be sorting herbs."

Rushpaw bristled, opening his mouth to object, only to be interrupted by Pricklepaw as she set two plump fish by the Medicine cat and his apprentice. "S-Sorry to interrupt…" She mumbled, glancing nervously between Mudfur's exasperated gaze and Rushpaw's mutinous blue glare. "But Loudbelly said to bring these to you, since the elders and Mistyfoot had already been fed…" She trailed off before squeaking another small, "Sorry!" and bolting back to the apprentice den where her brothers and Duskpaw were play-fighting outside. The medicine cat apprentice rolled his eyes, ignoring the fish and brushing past Mudfur to deposit the herbs he had just brought in with the rest. It was a big pile to go through…

"Rushpaw, this isn't a punishment." Mudfur mewed gently, coming to sit beside him. "You probably wouldn't have finished tonight anyways, with how well you've done to collect so much."

"Sure." Rushpaw muttered, rolling his eyes. Mudufr sighed, before pushing one of the two fish closer to the difficult apprentice.

"Eat your share and get some rest." He instructed him, gently, but firmly. "Maybe tomorrow you can tell me what's had you so preoccupied." The older tom's eye flashed, and for a moment, Rushpaw wondered if Mudfur could have been having the same confusing dreams… _But then_, he remembered with a sigh, crouching to take a small bite from his supper, _Mudfur has been speaking only of peace and the hope that the Clans can "prosper" in peace now. And something about these dreams…_ The fur along his spine bristled as he thought about it, the sharp, bitter taste of the Thunderpath already back on his tongue, making him feel sick to his stomach even as he took just his second bite. _I can't help feeling that these dreams speak nothing of peace…_

Desperate to get the taste out of his mouth, Rushpaw finished his fish quickly, before giving his pelt a quick wash and retreating to his nest. As his eyes slipped shut, his mind wandered off again, falling quickly into sleep that brought him back to the confusing world of his dreams, where the pitter-patter of rain gave way to gloom and cold stone, and where the soft light of Silverpelt was blotted out by thick, murky clouds.

_StarClan… What does this mean…?_

* * *

This chapter was kind of long (and I was actually planning on adding more), but yeah… This will be the story of Redpaw, Rushpaw, Willowpaw, Divepaw, Pricklepaw, Splashpaw, and Duskpaw as they grow up in RiverClan, each facing their own challenges and decisions. Before this, came "Graystripe's New Beginning" and "Life Is Good", which I recommend reading (it will make this one make a bit more sense, though I guess you don't have to if you don't want to xP lol). So thanks for reading! Constructive criticism is always welcome (I'm always ready to improve!) And Warriors does not in any way belong to me, though the new ShadowClan and some of the kits do(: Hope you enjoy!


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2!

Willowpaw woke with a start as she suddenly remembered that Blackclaw said they'd be battle training today.

_Finally!_

Shaking scraps of moss from her fur, Willowpaw dodged around Splashpaw's sleeping form, exasperatedly careful not to wake the younger apprentice who had experienced his first evening patrol last night. His mentor Heavystep, however, seemed to have a different idea, sticking his head in as Willowpaw left and meowing loudly,

"Hey! Splashpaw! Get up! The elders need fresh bedding!"

Outside, Willowpaw snorted. _Serves him right for trying to sleep all day._ Sheathing and unsheathing her claw in anticipation, she looked around for her smoky black mentor. Redpaw was at the entrance of the camp, standing beside Stormfur and Divepaw as they waited for Graystripe to finish issuing the patrols for later in the day. Pricklepaw and Duskpaw chatted quietly as they shared a fish next to the apprentice den, talking about the hunting they were going to be doing later and who would catch more. Rushpaw sat sulkily beside the stream that ran past the medicine den and nursery, sorting through a pile of herbs that Willowpaw remembered seeing him collect the day before.

She sighed, wondering again if Rushpaw was really happy training to be a medicine cat. He was always the smallest of their litter, and hadn't grown very much… Yet as she watched her small brother, he went from moody to alert as Mistyfoot came to him mewing about feeling queasy, and after a few certain nods, the tortoiseshell disappeared into the den, coming back heartbeats later with a bundle of leaves.

"Willowpaw! We're battle training today, or had you forgotten?"

The dark blue-gray she-cat whirled to see Blackclaw padding towards her, and she lashed her tail. "Of course not!" She protested. Then, "Let's go!"

Without waiting for a response, she bounded past him, detecting the faint scents of Mistyfoot, milk, and kits clinging to his smoky black fur. _Give them some space…_ She thought with a roll of her eyes, making her way to the training stream.

"Alright." Blackclaw growled, crouching in front of her, narrowing his eyes. "Claws sheathed. Attack me."

Willowpaw crouched low as well, letting her eyes flick first to his broad shoulders, then to his paws, his ear, his muzzle… And with a yowl, she leapt, purposely landing short by a mouse tail, so that as Blackclaw reared onto his hind legs to retaliate, she was already steady on her feet, launching forward again and knocking his paws out from under him, only to tackle him a moment later before finally pinning the older tom the ground. His eyes flashing, he pushed her off, panting a short, "Good." As he straightened up and shook the dust from his pelt. Willowpaw sat, rasping her tongue across her paw once or twice before drawing it over her ear.

"What next…?"

"Now…" Blackclaw began nonchalantly, before suddenly tensing. "I attack you!"

Caught off guard, Willowpaw was easily bowled over, and she spat her defiance at her mentor. "you didn't warn me!"

Blackclaw rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry, but at Sunningrocks, a ThunderClan warrior is not going to sit down and kindly ask you if he can attack now. Don't get over-confident! You have skill, Willowpaw," the black tom was pacing around her in a wide circle, and she crouched low, tracking his every movement and listening to his every word. "But don't waste it way through arrogance! You are fast, and you are strong, and you are clever, but you it's because you _know_ these things that I defeat you so easily."

Willowpaw narrowed her pale green eyes, her tail-tip twitching. "So what do I do to fix it…?" She sniffed.

"Focus!" Blackclaw growled, launching himself at his apprentice again. This time, Willowpaw was ready. Jumping back, she swerved so that he flew past her, coiling her legs beneath her before leaping after him, landing square on his shoulders and cuffing him of the ears before he flipped onto his back, knocking the air out of the blue-gray apprentice. She didn't let this phase her, bunching her legs again before pushing upwards as if she were jumping, and Blackclaw's smothering weight was lifted. Her mentor flew half-way across the clearing, sliding to a halt on his side with his tail-tip in the water of the stream. As he began to get up, Willowpaw pounced on top of him, pinning with one paw on his neck, both mentor and apprentice breathing heavily.

"Good." He finally managed to gasp, staggering to his paws as Willowpaw let him up. "That was excellently done, Willowpaw." He flicked his tail. "Head back to camp and get something to eat, I have to meet Heavystep and Splashpaw for the sunhigh patrol. After you have your share for lunch, I want you to make sure the elders and Mistyfoot are fed. If not, you are to hunt for them. If so, then bring back as much as you can for the clan.

Willowpaw nodded. "Yes, Blackclaw." She mewed, turning and padding wearily back to the camp. That was the most intense their battle training had been, and with a thrill of excitement, Willowpaw wondered if it would get even harder. Deep down, she hoped so. There was nothing the blue-gray she-cat loved more than a challenge.

* * *

Pricklepaw sighed as she finished her fish, swiping her tongue around her jaws. She had been hunting with Duskpaw all morning, making sure that every elder as well as Mistyfoot had plenty of fresh-kill for the rest of the day. Now her sister was joining Leopardstar to go out on a border patrol, and Pricklepaw was left waiting for Loudbelly to finish his own lunch before she could find out what she was going to be doing next.

Unable to stand it anymore, the spikey-furred she-cat approached her mentor, where he was eating with Stormfur.

"Loudbelly…?" She mewed quietly, scuffling her paws as the dark brown tom looked at her. "I know you said that you'd tell me what we were doing next after you finished eating, but…"

She noticed Stormfur's whiskers twitching in amusement, and ducked her head to lick her chest fur to hide her embarrassment. _Minnow-brain…!_ She thought to herself. _You should have just waited…!_

"Well…" The dark gray tabby mewed, glancing at Loudbelly. "I was going to take Divepaw out and start giving him some basic swimming lessons, and maybe across to Sunningrocks. If it's okay with you, she could tag along."

Loudbelly purred. "That's fine with me. I'll come, too. I'm just about done with this."

Pricklepaw's tail fluffed out in excitement. "Great! I'll go get Divepaw!" Without waiting for an answer, she spun around and raced across the clearing to where Divepaw and Splashpaw were play-fighting.

"Divepaw! Divepaw!" She mewed, launching herself into the fray at her dark gray tabby brother. Splashpaw jumped out of the way, purring with amusement as, taken by surprise, Divepaw found himself pinned beneath their sister.

"Pricklepaw!" He exclaimed, twisting out from under her. He was purring, too, though, and Pricklepaw remembered why she had rushed over here to begin with.

"Stormfur and Loudbelly are going to take us to learn how to swim!"

"Really…?" Divepaw asked, tilting his head, the tiniest trace of excitement shining in his icy blue eyes.

"Aren't you a little small to be swimming…?" Splashpaw offered skeptically. "I mean, I don't think Willowpaw has ever gone past the shallows, and she's been an apprentice much longer than us…"

Pricklepaw fluffed her fur out in indignation. "I am not!" She objected. "Just because Willowpaw hasn't doesn't mean that I can't!"

"Are you coming?" Stormfur call teasingly from the camp entrance, and without waiting for her brothers to say anything else, Pricklepaw ran to join them, Divepaw and Splashpaw exchanging a worried glance and a shrug as the slightly smaller tom got up to follow her.

"Good luck!" Splashpaw called, and Pricklepaw huffed as she followed her mentor out of the camp. She was a RiverClan cat, swimming was going to be easy! …Wasn't it…? Suddenly, the ginger & silver she-cat wasn't so sure…

* * *

End of Chapter 2! Thanks to Pantherstar, Cinderstar377, and Mossystar for Reviewing! I really appreciate it, and I hope you keep reading and enjoying this story! As always, constructive criticism is welcome!  
***Oh! And it may not happen soon, but I like to have these things in mind beforehand. I'm looking for suggestions for Redpaw, Willowpaw, and Rushpaw's warrior/medicine cat names(: If you have any ideas, I'm certainly welcome to them!  
Thanks again for reading! Lots of love!


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3! Still open for ideas for Redpaw, Willowpaw, and Rushpaw's warrior/medicine cat names(:

Duskpaw took a deep breath, crouching low in the shadows of the Sunningrocks, her midnight fur blending well into the darkness, her amber eyes locked on water vole easily as big she was, if not bigger. Leopardstar sat a few tail-lengths away, carefully watching as Duskpaw pulled herself closer, paw-step by paw-step, until taking a deep breath, she pounced, her aim perfect as she landed on the prey, dispatching it with a quick bit to the neck. She lifted her head, carrying the fresh-kill proudly back to where her mentor sat.

"Great catch!" Leopardstar meowed, her eyes slightly wide as she noticed how large the vole was. "And you managed to kill it before it could make a sound. That's even better."

Duskpaw scuffled her paws on the ground, embarrassed but glowing at the praise. Leopardstar didn't just give out compliments, even to her deputy's kits.

"Now." Leopardstar continued. "Tell me what else you can smell."

The small black apprentice put the vole down, raising her muzzle to inhale deeply, parting her jaws slightly to taste the air. Her nose wrinkled. "Something really… Earthy." She answered, tilting her head, as she tried to place the scent.

Leopardstar nodded. "That's ThunderClan scent." She rumbled. "Remember it well." The leader angled her ears towards the woodlands. "Their territory lies just beyond Sunningrocks, which they have tried multiple times to steal from us. Their territory lies in between our and ShadowClan's, which you'll see when we pass Fourtrees." She stood up. "Come on, we've got a long way to go. Bring that and we'll bury it on the other side of the river to collect on the way back."

Duskpaw nodded, picking up her water vole again and following Leoparstar back to the stepping stones and across the river. She buried it carefully under the roots of a willow, then caught up with her mentor as she padded alongside the river.

"RiverClan have been the only cats comfortable in water since the beginning of the clans." Leopardstar mewed, motioning the water with her tail. "We have the most graceful clan in the forest, with fierce pride that none of the other clans can rival."

Duskpaw nodded, awed. "So none of the other clans have ever been in the water?" Leopardstar shook her head, and Duskpaw could restrain a startled gasp. "Really?" As a kit, she had loved playing in the stream beside the nursery with her littermates. It was hard to imagine that had she been born in a different clan, she wouldn't have been able to do so.

"Really." Leopardstar's whiskers were twitching in amusement, and Duskpaw blinked once or twice before shaking her head.

"They're really missing out, aren't they?"

Her mentor purred. "They sure are. Now come on, we'll never make it around the borders at this rate. Don't fall behind."

At that, Leopardstar put on speed, until it felt like Duskpaw was flying trying to keep up, finally pulling to a stop a steep slope leading down into a huge clearing, four great oaks standing tall and regal at the corners, and a giant boulder at the edge.

"This is Fourtrees." The leader explained why Duskpaw flopped down beside her, panting. Every full moon the four clans meet here in peace to exchange news and put aside our rivalries."

Duskpaw thought for a moment. "So there's going to be one in just a few days, right?" Leopardstar dipped her head.

"Right. But you and your siblings won't be able to go, since Redpaw, Willowpaw, and Rushpaw have been apprenticed longer. You'll have to earn your right to attend."

Duskpaw gave a determined nod. "Okay."

Leopardstar motioned directly across the clearing. "Across from us from here, on the other side of ThunderClan territory is ShadowClan. We have promised them a moon under their new leader to prove that we can trust them before we decide if we'll allow Lightning to remain in leadership." She shook head, as if clearing it, before turning in a different direction. "On to WindClan…" She glanced at the night black apprentice. "Up for another run?"

Duskpaw stood up, shaking herself before nodding. "I can keep up."

"Good." Leopardstar mewed. "Let's go."

* * *

Redpaw and Willowpaw padded side by side through RiverClan territory, free to hunt for the Clan since the younger four apprentices had already tended to the elders' needs.

"I don't know about you," Redpaw mewed as they approached the river. "But I kind of like being the oldest apprentices, and having time to hunt for the clan instead collecting moss and searching Troutwhisker for ticks."

Willowpaw mumbled an agreement, and Redpaw tilted his head.

"What?" He asked, noticing how her paws seemed to drag the closer to the river they got. "You said you were on hunting duty, right?"

Willowpaw nodded, before pushing ahead of him. "Let's get this over with, then."

Redpaw stood there for a moment, shocked. _What's got her tail in a knot…?_ He shook his head before following after her, stopping at the edge of the water with his tail curled neatly around his paws and his ears pricked as he gazed into the water. Further upstream, Pricklepaw and Divepaw were floundering in the shallows under Stormfur and Loudbelly's careful supervision.

"I don't why we're bothering." Willowpaw sniffed. "They're going to scare away all of the fish anyway." She sat a few tail lengths back from the river, on the shore, grooming her blue-gray pelt.

Redpaw rolled his eyes, ignoring her and focusing on the ripple of the river, until a flash of silver caught his amber eyes. His paw flashed out instantly, his reflexes like lightning as his claws hooked the fish up and out of the water, and then killing with a solid blow of his paw. Willowpaw jumped back, her ears flattening as water splashed up from the river.

"Watch it!" She spat.

Redpaw stood there for a moment, blinking at his sister as realization dawned on him. _No way…_ "Willowpaw…?" He began slowly, his whiskers twitching as he paced in a small circle around his sister, watching her eyes narrow at him. "Why don't _you_ go catch a fish…?"

"Because I'm much better at hunting voles." She growled, turning away. He nudged her towards the water, and she cuffed him over the ears. "Stop…!"

"You're not scared of falling in, are you?" He teased nudging her again.

"Redpaw!" She objected, lashing out again, this time with her claw unsheathed.

The reddish brown tom barely ducked, purring. "I never would have guessed that you of all people would be a dry-paw, Willowpaw."

"I'm not!" She objected, her eyes distressed. "I just…"

Redpaw slapped his tail across her muzzle. "Hush. I was just teasing, Willowpaw." He reassured her, removing his tail when he was sure she wouldn't start yowling again.

"Please don't tell anyone…" she mumbled, looking down.

"Of course not." Redpaw purred. "I'll help you get over it before you can say 'minnow'!"

"Minnow." Willowpaw growled, stalking down to the stepping stones. Redpaw sighed, before following her. Rushpaw had always been moody and difficult, he knew how to deal with him, but the Willowpaw _he_ knew never backed down from a challenge. And certainly not one that she _had_ to overcome to become a good warrior. Padding after her along the bank, he though he caught a strange scent, pausing to sniff the air before shrugging it off. Right now, he needed to talk to his sister.

She was already half-way across the stepping stones by the time he reached the first one, and as he prepared himself to leap after her, his eyes widened in horror as she jumped to the next stone, landing heavily with most of her weight on one front paw, that paw hitting the slick moss growing on the edge of the stone and sending her plummeting into the river.

"Willowpaw!"

* * *

Willowpaw didn't have time to yowl as her paws shot out from under and she hit the water, immediately gripped with fear.

_StarClan help me…!_ She thought, frantically flailing her paws as she fought to break the surface. For a moment, her muzzle reached, and she gasped a lungful of precious oxygen before the current dragged her back under. Everything was spinning, and her paws felt like stones. The blue-gray apprentice felt her heart thudding in her chest, her long burning as darkness swam at the edges of her vision… _Am I going to die…?_

Suddenly, she felt teeth in her scruff, something pulling her weight, until her head broke the surface and she gasped, coughing and spluttering as she was pulled to the shallows. For a moment, she thought that her brother had dived in after her and saved her, until she heard Redpaw growl,

"Who are _you_?"

Still coughing, Willowpaw stumbled onto the shore, never more glad for her paws to be on _dry_ land.

Before whoever had saved her could answer there was a startled gasp. "Hawk! What were you thinking! You could drowned!"

Willowpaw shook the water from her pelt, turning to see her brother bristling as he faced a dark brown tabby tom with a white underbelly and ice blue eyes who couldn't be more the half a moon older than her and her siblings. Rushing towards him was a pretty tawny she-cat who had to be his mother, and an equally pretty golden tabby she-cat, who was smaller than Redpaw. The dark tabby was as soaking wet as Willowpaw herself, and with a rush she realized that he must have been the one that saved her.

"R-Redpaw, it's okay." She coughed. "He saved me." She blinked warmly at the tom, who's eyes seemed to flash as she defended him.

"Oh, Hawk…" The tawny queen was there npw, looking wide eyes first at her son, then at the two apprentices, one soaked through and the other bristling aggressively.

"Does it matter? They're obviously rogues…" Redpaw growled. Before he could say anything else, though, Graystripe, Blackclaw, and Shadefrost were there.

"That's enough." Graystripe mewed, his amber eyes guarded as he looked over the three rogues. "What's going on?"

Redpaw opened his mouth, but Willowpaw cut him off, stepping forward. "Redpaw and I had a disagreement over where to hunt, so I went to cross the stepping stones and go to Sunningrocks." As she spoke, she realized how cold she was, her lungs still aching from almost drowning, and the paw that had slid on the moss throbbing to the point that she lifted it off the ground. "I was rushing, and slipped on one of the rocks and fell in the river." She flicked her tail at the dark tabby tom. "He saved me."

Graystripe and Blackclaw began murmuring quietly to each other, while Shadefrost bent and sniffed at her paw.

"I'm very sorry…" The tawny queen spoke up. "We don't mean to be intruding. I thought we smelled scent markers, but…" She shook her head. The cats up on the moor chased us off, we needed a place to rest and we were just leaving when Hawk saw her fall in and jumped in to save her…" She trailed off, and Graystripe stepped forward, bowing his head not to the tawny queen, but to her kit, Hawk.

"Then we thank you." He rumbled graciously. "We don't know what we would have done if we had lost one of our apprentices."

Hawk looked surprised by this, but dipped his head in acknowledgement. Willowpaw pricked her ears. He was certainly interesting, for a rogue…

Their deputy was looking over the three with interest in his gaze. "You seem to be in need of help." He began cautiously. "And it's up to Leopardstar, our leader, but maybe you could stay with RiverClan for a while and regain your strength."

The she-cat looked surprised, but Hawk's eyes lit up, and the small golden she-cat look up at her mother with wide amber eyes. "Can we, Mother…?" She pleaded. "I'm tired of walking all day and being chased by vicious cats."

Their mother sighed. "We'll see what Leopardstar says, my loves, but I cannot make any promises." She turned to Graystripe and bowed her head. "Thank-you so much." She mewed. "My name is Sasha. These are my kits, Hawk and Moth."

Blackclaw narrowed his eyes, but said nothing, and while his fur was lying flat, Redpaw's shoulders were tense.

"Let's go." Graystripe meowed, flicking his tail. "Leopardstar and Duskpaw will be back from looping the border soon." With that, the big gray tom began leading the way to camp, Blackclaw at his shoulder and Shadefrost falling back to help Willowpaw along. Redpaw stayed beside her as well, his tail tip twitching as he offered his shoulder for support. He obviously wasn't happy with his mentor's offer, though Willowpaw knew his anger would be short-lived. Despite herself, the blue-gray she-cat couldn't help but to glance back over her shoulder at the three rogues, though Sasha kept her kits close to her, they were obviously eager. She blinked as she suddenly realized that Hawk had caught her observing them, and turned quickly to focus on where she was walking and make an even bigger fool of herself. She could feel his ice-blue eyes burning into her back, though, and with a shiver, she realized that she really hoped that Hawk and his sister could stay in RiverClan, even if temporarily, so that she could get to know them better.

* * *

End of Chapter 3!  
Thanks to Cinderstar377 for reviewing, and I really like your suggestion for Rushpaw, so I'll definitely be keeping that in mind;)  
Also, if anyone had suggestions for Pricklepaw, Duskpaw, Divepaw, and Splashpaw, I may as well start thinking of those, too(: Unfortunately, I think I may leave Hawk & Moth with their original warrior names, so… Redpaw, Willowpaw, Rushpaw, Pricklepaw, Duskpaw, Divepaw, and Splashpaw(: If you have any suggestions, send them my way(:  
Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4(:**

Rushpaw couldn't help but to sigh as he _finally_ finishing sorting through all of herbs. After he had finished with the ones he had gathered the day before, Mudfur had told him to go through the herbs they already had and pick out any that had gone bad or that were damaged. Getting up and stretching, the tortoiseshell tom picked up the last bundle and placed it back in the herbs store, glad to be able to exit without another mouthful to go through.

"All done?" Mudfur asked, his ears pricked. Rushpaw opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, he saw Graystripe padding into the camp entrance, followed by Blackclaw, Shadefrost, Redpaw, a soaking wet Willowpaw and… He felt his fur bristle. _Rogues?_

Their scent brought his dreams rushing back, and he shook his head. Already, there was a crowd around the patrol, and with urging from Shadefrost, Willowpaw padded across the clearing the medicine den. She was limping heavily on her right forepaw, and as she approached Rushpaw flattened his ears in exasperation.

"What did you do…?" He sighed, leaning forward and sniffing at her paw. "It looks more like the fish caught _you_."

Willowpaw rolled her eyes, but answered anyway. "I fell in the river, and Hawk—that's the dark brown tabby over there—jumped in and saved me."

Rushpaw's ears flattened, but he held his tongue. _If you would get over your fear, then you wouldn't have had to be saved by a rogue…_ "It looks like you just twisted it a little. I can bind it a little and give you poppy seeds, and we'll have to make sure you don't have a cold. The water is still cold from leaf-bare."

Mudfur was nodding his approval, and with a flash of indignation, Rushpaw couldn't help thinking, _As if I asked…!_ He brushed past the older tom into the den and pawed out some thick reed stems, and one or two poppy seeds, bringing them back out to his sister. Her fur was beginning to dry now, and her breathing seemed even enough.

"Let me see your paw." He ordered, waiting for her to stretch it out before carefully wrapping it in the thick leaves, using a sticky poultice he had made earlier that day to hold it there. He pushed the poppy seeds towards her. "Eat these and you should be fine to take that off by tomorrow around sunhigh."

As he spoke, Leopardstar entered the camp, followed by Duskpaw, who carried a water vole as big as she was. The dappled leader halted as her eyes fell on the crowd, and she obviously caught the scent of rogues. _Good, now she'll chase them out and things will be like it never happened._ Rushpaw watched as Willowpaw got up and hurried over, snorting and turning back to Mudfur.

The brown tom's whiskers were twitching. "Aren't you curious…?" He asked, though Rushpaw had a feeling that he already knew the answer to that question.

"No." He growled, brushing past his mentor and into the den to check their store of cobwebs and poultices, which were just as important as individual herbs. Even from there, he could hear Leopardstar demanding an explanation, then announcing that she would consult with her senior warriors.

"I'm going to go, as well." Mudfur informed him, before giving the tortoiseshell a gentle nudge and padding slowly away. Rushpaw rolled his eyes, but turned to watch the medicine cat go, feeling his paws prickle with uncertainty. Mudfur wasn't nearly as young as he used to be, and even Rushpaw knew that he had been a warrior before training to become a medicine cat…

With an aggravated shake of his head, the tom cleared his mind. Mudfur was stronger than that. He wouldn't have to worry about full medicine cat-ship for a good number of moons. Lost in thought, Rushpaw didn't realize Duskpaw had approached until she mewed a small greeting.

He blinked, slightly startled, before shaking his head. "Did you need something, Duskpaw?" He asked, his tail-tip twitching in slight irritation at being broken out of his thoughts.

She shuffled her paws, before pushing the vole she had been carrying earlier towards him, along with a plump fish. "Leopardstar told me to make sure you and Mudfur got your share of fresh-kill."

Rushpaw sighed, watching as the night black she-cat waited for his response. She was definitely the most bearable of her siblings, and he could deal with Divepaw most of the time…

"Thanks." He muttered, sniffing curiously at the fresh-kill. "Did you catch this…?" He flicked his tail towards the water vole, his stomach protesting quietly at the delay.

"Yeah." Duskpaw answered, seeming to relax a little more. "Leopardstar told me to pretend I was sneak-attacking Redpaw."

Rushpaw couldn't help his whiskers twitching amusement. "Good strategy. I think I would have caught it, too, if that's what I had been told."

To Rushpaw's great surprise, Duskpaw let out a purr of laughter, her tail curling. "Well, I'll let you eat then." She purred, still seeming amused by Rushpaw's dry comment. "See you later, Rushpaw."

The small tom shook his head she padded away, mumbling, "Kits…" Under his breath as he pulled the water vole closer, settling down and tucking into his meal. The sun was sinking quickly now, and just as Rushpaw swallowed his last bite of vole, he heard Leopardstar yowl, "Let all cats old enough to swim gather here beneath the Great Willow for a Clan meeting!"

An exasperated sigh escaped his lips as he stood, swiping his tongue around his lips, and grooming his snowy chest fur before joining the others in the clearing. Leopardstar stood on the massive tangle of roots of the Great Willow, Graystripe at the base, and the Clan quickly gathering around, eager to hear what their leader had to say about the three rogue cats sitting with Graystripe at the base of the willow tree.

Rushpaw sat next to Redpaw, whose shoulders were set in an unhappy tension. He gave him a nudge.

"What's your problem?" He hissed under his breath. The reddish brown tom didn't answer, just flicking his ear towards Leopardstar as she began to speak.

"Today one of our apprentice's fell into the river, fortunately enough, she had help close at hand." Willowpaw hung her head in embarrassment, but Leopardstar didn't seem to notice. "I've spoken to these rogues, and between myself and my senior warriors, we've decided to off to let them stay with RiverClan." She looked down at the oldest-looking of the three—a pretty tawny-colored queen. "Sasha? What is your decision? If you don't wish to stay, we can't force you, but if you would like, we would gladly welcome you into RiverClan."

Rushpaw was sitting close enough to see the tabby that Willowpaw had mentioned earlier prick his ears, his eyes flashing with what looked like excitement, and his golden-furred sister did much the same, turning a bright, pleading look to her mother.

"…I would like to think about it, if that's okay." Sasha answered, her voice careful and level. Rushpaw could tell that she wasn't easily ruffled. "Can I let you know in a few days…?"

Leopardstar nodded. "Of course. How does three sound?" It was easy to tell that Leopardstar was eager to hear her answer. Even Rushpaw had to admit that there was obvious potential in the dark tabby's already strong shoulders, and his sister's energy showed as much promise as his calm power.

Sasha seemed to think about it for a moment, before nodding. "Three days." She agreed.

Leopardstar's ears pricked and her eyes flashed like she already knew that Sasha would join with her kits. "Good." She mewed. "You will be made welcome. Help yourselves to the fresh-kill pile." She motioned with her tail their more-than-full pile, then focused her gaze on her gathered Clan. "Your kits are beyond 6 moons, like my own, so they can sleep in the apprentice den tonight, if they would like."

The cats exchanged an excited glance, and Sasha nodded. "That's fine with me."

"And you can join our warriors in their den. Shadefrost, show her around the camp, please. Willowpaw, Redpaw, see to it that Hawk and Moth are introduced to the other apprentices, and that they make themselves comfortable in the apprentice den." Leopardstar looked as if she were about to dismiss the clan, before she stopped. "Oh, and Rushpaw, Hawk got quite the soaking diving in after Willowpaw. Can you check him please?"

Rushpaw sighed. "Yes, Leopardstar." _What about Mudfur? I'm not the medicine cat yet…!_

"That is all." With that, she leapt down from her perch, speaking in a quiet voice with Graystripe as they selected fresh-kill from the pile. Shadefrost jumped right on her task, padding over to greet Sasha warmly and lead her around the camp, and Willowpaw did about the same, padding up to the rogue siblings almost… shyly? Redpaw, on the other hand, didn't move, his claws sinking into the ground.

"Redpaw…?" Rushpaw mewed carefully, nudging his brother. "Are you alright?"

Redpaw stood stiffly, obviously forcing his hackles to lie flat. "I don't like him." He growled under his breath. "I don't like him at all." It took the small tortoiseshell a moment to realize that he was talking about Hawk, whom he had only just met. He rolled his eyes.

"Give him a chance, Redpaw." He sighed. "For all we know, he could like flowers as much Pricklepaw, and his favorite pass-time is prancing along the shore in the rain, collecting pretty pebbles."

Redpaw rolled his own eyes, before shaking his head. "I guess your right…" He muttered.

"Of course I'm right." Rushpaw retorted, licking one paw before drawing over his ear. Before Redpaw could answer, Willowpaw padded up to them, Hawk and Moth behind her. The dark brown tabby was definitely still wet, though his fur was drying quickly.

"These are my brothers," Willowpaw was meowing. "Redpaw, who you saw earlier." She flicked her tail towards Redpaw, who mumbled a greeting, and then at Rushpaw. "And Rushpaw."

Hawk's ice blue eyes widened minutely. "Isn't he a little small to be learning how to fight? Isn't that what you said warrior apprentice's learned?"

Rushpaw felt his fur bristle slightly, and Redpaw growled, his hackles rising. "What was that?" He spat. Moth flinched away, and Rushpaw slapped his tail across his mouth.

"I'm not training to be a warrior." He ground out, forcing himself to remain polite. It wasn't Hawk's fault that he didn't know, and many cats judged him first based on his size—he had always been smaller than his litter mates. "I'm going to be a medicine cat." He couldn't resist adding dryly, "So you should watch what you say, or I'll give you yarrow for your belly-ache."

With that, Hawk shut his mouth, and quietly allowed Rushpaw to sniff his pelt, while Moth murmured to Willowpaw, "What's yarrow?"

"Ehh…" Willowpaw seemed tied in between being amused and being exasperated. "It's an herb used to make cats throw up, like if they eat something they shouldn't have… Or in Rushpaw's case," –she sighed—"as a threat."

Hawk gulped, and Rushpaw felt a rush of satisfaction. _Good._ He thought. _Next time think before you go meowing away about size._

Once sure that the rogue didn't have a fever or a cold, Rushpaw sent them on their way, wanting nothing more than to curl up his nest and get some sleep. Things were so peaceful in the forest right now that it was almost boring, but after Tigerstar's devastation, he knew they needed it…

Shaking his head, he padding back to his den, realizing that Mudfur had found the fish Rushpaw had left for him.

"Going to sleep?" The old brown tom asked, looking up from his supper.

Rushpaw just nodded, heading into the den and curling up in his nest of reeds and feathers, lined with shiny, colorful pebbles and stones. As he closed his eyes, he realized just how tired he was, and he settled more deeply, curling up in a tight ball with his tail tucked over his nose. Hopefully, he'd have more to do tomorrow…

_Dark amber eyes shone in the darkness, shadowed with worry and fear. The bitter smell of the Thunderpath hung heavy in the air, and even the moon's light was choked out by the heavy clouds overhead, promising rain—and lots of it._

"_Are you sure we're safe here…?"_

"_We have to be… This is the only place…" A voice answered, a voice so much like Rushpaw's own, and suddenly the apprentice realized it _was_ his. He padded forward in the darkness, and the owner of those amber eyes followed wearily, their pelts brushing. "And even if it's not safe…" He murmured, pressing closer against the other form, glancing up at the stars he knew were there, but couldn't see. "I'll keep you safe. We didn't come this far for nothing…"_

'_We didn't come this far for nothing…?' Rushpaw thought, his mind racing. 'Who?! StarClan, I don't understand! Why do you keep showing me this?!'_

_Another voice answered, and Rushpaw spun around in the darkness to find that he was now in the well-lit RiverClan camp, the moon and stars bright as they shown on Brambleberry's silver pelt. "Patience, young Rushpaw… Starclan can only show you so much… There is only so much we can do for you… We can't control you, or any cat, Rushpaw. That's what makes you free…"_

"_You could at least answer my questions!" Rushpaw spat, his tail lashing. "This doesn't make any sense!"_

"_In time, Rushpaw…" Brambleberry purred sympathetically. "In time…" The she-cat slowly faded, and Rushpaw yowled in frustration, digging his claws into the ground, suddenly bathed in darkness again as his claw met not grass, but hard stone, rain pouring down around him._

'_StarClan…' He thought desperately, fear suddenly gripping his heart. 'What are you trying to show me…? I just don't…' He let his eyes slip closed, his ears and tail drooping. 'Understand…'_

* * *

End of Chapter 4(: Thanks for reading, and constructive criticism (as well as name suggestions) is always welcome! Lots of love!


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**(:

Redpaw awoke groggily in the morning, feeling like he had dreamt something important, but no longer able to remember what it would have been. All he could focus on was the sound of Willowpaw and Divepaw loudly explaining apprentice and warrior duties to Hawk and Moth—which is what had woken the red-brown tom up in the first place.

"We do hunt," Divepaw was meowing now. "But we have to make sure that the elders and queens and Medicine cat are fed first. We're not allowed to eat until after that."

One of them must have looked confused, because Willowpaw continued to explain, "The elders are retired warriors or medicine cats who have done all they possibly could for their clan, and are now too old to continue doing so. They deserve almost as much as respect as our warrior ancestors."

"And the queens," Redpaw mewed, rolling onto his back and stretching his forepaws out above his head. "Are she-cats either expecting or nursing kits—which are the future warriors of our clan. Medicine cats receive omens from StarClan, which help them heal their Clans and aid the leader in making decisions."

Hawk narrowed his eyes at him, and Moth nodded importantly, like she was finally beginning to get it. Suddenly, Pricklepaw stuck her head in the den, her green eyes bright.

"Hey, Leopardstar says it's time for training, not for gossip. She and Graystripe are waiting for you by the Great Willow, Redpaw, and you guys, too." She angled her ears towards Hawk and Moth.

"What about me…?" Willowpaw tilted her head.

Pricklepaw just shrugged. "I don't know." She admitted. "Blackclaw and Stormfur have been talking all morning, so they're probably planning something. You should really get going." She disappeared for a moment, before sticking her head back in. "Oh, and don't worry about the elders, me and Splashpaw are on hunting duty today."

Divepaw sighed and stood up as his sister left, shaking bits of reed out of his dark gray fur. "Well, I'll see you all later." He mewed, flicking his tail in good-bye as he pushed his way out of the den. With a sigh of her own, Willowpaw followed, brushing past Redpaw with a quiet hiss of, "Be nice!"

Redpaw rolled his eyes, standing up and stretching once more before flicking his ears. "Are you coming?" He called, joining the other two apprentices as the exited the den. Though the sun had only just come up, the camp was already bustling. Blackclaw and Stormfur, now joined by their apprentices, left on what Redpaw assumed was a training expedition, while Loudbelly, Heavystep, Splashpaw, and Pricklepaw joined up and left to go hunting. The dawn patrol was just setting out, consisting of Feathertail, Sasha, and Shadefrost, while Redpaw spotted Rushpaw sitting next to the stream, moodily watching Mistyfoot's 3 kits as they played in the water for the first time. They were fine, healthy kits, their father easily showing in the 2 toms black and black-&-white pelts, while Oakheart—Stonefur and Mistyfoot's father—showed more in the young she-kit, who had rippling, pale golden fur.

"Redpaw!" Graystripe called from across the clearing, beckoning him with his tail. Noticing that Hawk and Moth were behind him, the apprentice padded over to his mentor and his leader, where they sat in the shade of the Great Willow, Duskpaw next to them.

"We're going to go around our territory today." Leopardstar explained. "Hawk, Moth, should you choose to join RiverClan, we're going to show you the borders you will be protecting. As we go," her eyes fell on Redpaw. "Redpaw and Duskpaw will help explain what your duties as apprentices will be, and how the Clan life works."

Redpaw fought to keep his fur lying flat, and Duskpaw nodded, her amber eyes thoughtful. _Be nice._ The apprentice repeated Willowpaw's message in his head. _Be. Nice._

Soon, they were trotting through the new-leaf filled fields, making their way towards the WindClan border first. As they went, Redpaw took a deep breath, forcing himself to be polite.

"WindClan are the cats that live out on the moor." He flicked his tail towards the open expanse in front of them. "Our territory is separated from theirs by a steep gorge that's nearly impossible to scale."

Graystripe shot his apprentice an approving look as Duskpaw took over. "They're kind of small, but really fast, and their main prey is rabbits."

"So it's ThunderClan we have to worry about." Redpaw growled as they set the scent marker and continued towards the river. Hawk listened with his ears pricked, his sharp blue eyes never leaving the reddish-brown tom. Redpaw fought the urge to bristle under his icy gaze, deeply unsettled. _You're a rogue…!_ His instincts were screaming. _You don't belong here!_ Something about the broad-shouldered tabby sent a chill down his spine, giving him the eerie feeling that he resembled someone that Redpaw knew… He just couldn't figure out who!

"The ThunderClan border lies beyond our river." Leopardstar was explaining with a flick of her tail across towards Sunningrocks.

"That's Sunningrocks." Duskpaw explained quietly. "It's been fought over between ThunderClan and RiverClan ever since the river changed course and flowed into the gorge instead."

"Of course," Redpaw added, tilting his chin up with pride. "RiverClan always wins in the end."

"So it belongs to RiverClan now…?" Moth asked quietly, her amber eyes wide as if she were expecting to see a ThunderClan patrol demanding it back at any second.

"Right." Graystripe mewed. "And it always will." Leopardstar nodded, then flicked her tail and set off again, this time towards Fourtrees.

"So when can I become a warrior?" Hawk growled, his eyes narrowed. Redpaw froze in his tracks, shooting the rogue an astonished glare.

"You're not even a part of RiverClan yet!" He spat, his tail lashing. Duskpaw rested her tail on his shoulder, and he shrugged it off. "Talking like that-"

"Redpaw…!" She sharp reprimand came not from his mentor, Graystripe, but from his mother, Leopardstar, as she spun to face the two toms, who were now nose to nose, hackles raised. "That's enough." She growled. "If Sasha agrees to join, then Hawk and Moth will be made welcome. They will take apprentice names, first, yes, but talking like _that_," her ears flattened. "They just may earn their warrior names before you."

Redpaw's eyes widened in shock, his jaw dropping. Duskpaw looked equally—if not more—surprised. Even Hawk's ice-blue eyes went a little wider, his fur lying flat as he glanced at Redpaw, who had fallen silent. Leopardstar blinked, before turning and stalking away, leading them to Fourtrees.

_A rogue become a warrior before me…?_

Duskpaw shot him a sympathetic glance. "Don't worry…!" She began to whisper, but Redpaw shook his head. "Don't." He muttered, his tail dragging the dirt. Seeming defeated, Duskpaw gave him a gentle nudge, before turning and following her mentor. Redpaw brought up the rear, his ears and head down. So many times, Leopardstar had looked at him with pride glowing in her eyes, and many times over Graystripe had commented on how much he reminded him of his father.

_Did one comment erase all of that…?_ He thought, his heart plummeting even thinking of it. The he stopped, shaking his head. _This isn't like me at all! I'm sulking around like Rushpaw! If being the best warrior in RiverClan means excepting these rogues, then I'll do it…! I just…_ His eyes raked over Hawk's dark brown tabby pelt. _I just don't trust him…_

* * *

Duskpaw couldn't help but to feel bad for Rushpaw, being told something like that in front of two cats who had only just become a part of the Clan. She glanced back at him over her shoulder again, noticing that while his tail was dragging the dirt, his shoulders were set with determination. _You're going to be a great warrior one day, Redpaw…_ She thought quietly, sighing as they finally made it back to camp. Graystripe immediately called Redpaw for the evening patrol, obviously wanting to help keep his mind off Leopardstar's harsh words, while Leopardstar dismissed Duskpaw for the rest of the evening, telling her that they would be starting training early the next morning.

"Have the elders been fed?" Duskpaw asked Willowpaw, padding up to the older apprentice.

"Yep." She mewed. "And the queens. I haven't taken anything to Mudfur yet, or Rushpaw."

Duskpaw nodded. "Okay, I'll take care of that." Willowpaw gave a half-hearted agreement, catching sight of Moth and Hawk and bounding across the clearing to join them, closely followed by Pricklepaw and Divepaw. Duskpaw went to the fresh-kill pile, selecting the two juiciest looking fish there were. She struggled to carry them, one of them being at least half her size, but managed to make it to the medicine den entrance without dropping them once.

"Mudfur!" She called, placing the fish at the entrance. She waited for a moment, wondering if the medicine cat had heard her, until Rushpaw's tortoiseshell head popped out of the entrance, blinking in the half-light of dusk.

"What is it?" He asked, his ear twitching. "Who's hurt? Mudfur's out gathering honey right now, but…" He trailed off as his brilliant blue eyes fell on Duskpaw. "Oh." He mewed, slipping out of the reeds to sit in front of her, curling his tail neatly around snowy white paws. "what can I…" His eyes fell on the fish, his whiskers twitching. "Are those for me and Mudfur?"

Duskpaw nodded. "Yeah. And…" She trailed off, not sure what she should say. "Something happened today."

The tortoiseshell tom tilted his head, flicking his tail for her to continue. "And…?" He prompted. Duskpaw decided not to test his patience.

"Redpaw snapped at Hawk, and Leopardstar told him that if he kept that up the Hawk would become a warrior before him, if they joined the clan."

To her surprise, Rushpaw snorted. "Good. Someone needs to remind him of his place every now and again. It's good for him."

The black apprentice blinked, still slightly shocked. With a sigh, Rushpaw shrugged. "I can talk to him if you think that will help, though he'll probably come to me anyways."

"He just seemed so upset… He's always so calm and cheerful, it was strange to see him so depressed…"

Rushpaw seemed to choose his next words very carefully, his eyes meeting Duskpaw's with a spark of understanding deeper than the younger apprentice could bring herself to even _try_ to understand. "Redpaw is strong." He mewed. "But he's not flawless. He'll get over it, and be back to his old self in no time."

Duskpaw thought about, remembering the stories that Shadefrost told her about the great battle against Tigerstar, and how Redpaw, Willowpaw and Rushpaw had been held hostage by the power-hungry leader for moons to ensure that Leopardstar would do as Tigerstar said. Right after being freed, they were confronted with the death of their father, Stonefur, RiverClan's deputy and one of the well-known and respected cats in the forest. That in mind, it was no trouble for Duskpaw to imagine how strong Redpaw must have been, as well as Willowpaw and Rushpaw.

She dipped her head. "Thanks, Rushpaw." The sleek apprentice purred. "I'm sure your right."

The sweet scent of honey reached her senses, and she stepped back into the shadows to allow Mudfur to slip past, a leaf bundle in his jaws that was obviously wrapped around honey combs. As she did so, she saw Rushpaw's eyes widen slightly, before she turned and slipped away, mewing a quick, "Bye, Rushpaw…!" over her shoulder as she went, quickly selecting a vole out of the fresh-kill pile for herself and joining the other apprentices outside the den. Hawk and Moth were there, too, purring in amusement as Pricklepaw explained her adventure climbing trees with an animated reenactment. As she approached, Willowpaw waved her over with her tail.

"You already met Duskpaw, right?" She asked the two rogues. Hawk nodded, and Moth purred an agreement.

"We went on a patrol with her today." Hawk mewed, flicking his tail against Willowpaw's flank.

"Oh, that's right…" She laughed, shaking her head. The Splashpaw jumped in with a mew of,

"Wouldn't their names make great clan names?"

Duskpaw blinked, before giving a warm agreement. "Hawkpaw and Mothpaw…" She tested experimentally. "It does have a ring to it."

Hawk puffed out his chest, and Moth scuffled her paws on the ground. "We really want to stay…" She admitted quietly, glancing around the circle of apprentices.

Divepaw purred. "I'm sure you'll be able to." He assured her, nudging her dappled golden shoulder with his nose. "You would both make great warriors!"

Duskpaw added her agreements to the others' as she neatly ate her evening meal, thinking quietly about how large RiverClan was growing. Soon, Mistyfoot's kits would be ready to apprenticed, and all but the queens and Feathertail already had apprentices. Even Mudfur. She felt her paws tingle with excitement. They needed more warriors. And while she knew that Redpaw and Willowpaw were first in line…

_I'll be the best warrior RiverClan has ever seen…!_

* * *

Ooh, problems for Redpaw xD Thanks for reading, everyone! On to chapter 6! With so many apprentices, it looks like I may have to make a few warriors soon:P


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6!**

"Let all cats old enough to swim gather for a Clan meeting!"

Rushpaw blinked his eyes open, noticing soft morning light filtering in through the reeds. Mudfur leaned into his nest and gave him a gentle nudge.

"Time to get up, Rushpaw, Leopardstar's making the announcement about those young rogues."

The small tortoiseshell yawned, getting up stiffly, his paws aching from a night of dreaming of travelling across cold, broken stone. He gave himself a quick wash, before finally getting up and padding into the clearing after Mudfur, taking his customary seat beside Redpaw.

"Has it been three day already…?" He yawned again, shaking his head to clear the sleep from his mind.

Redpaw nodded. "Yeah… And thanks again for talking to me the other day… I feel a little better now… Though Leopardstar made me apologize…!"

Rushpaw rolled his eyes. "You deserved that, fish-brain." He mumbled, nodding towards Leopardstar to redirect his brother's attention to the meeting.

"It has been three days." She announced, before glancing down at Sasha. "What is your decision?"

The tawny queen took a deep breath, before shaking her head. "I'm sorry, Leopardstar, but the life of the Clans is not for me." Mews of shock rippled through the cats. Sasha had been fitting in just fine among the RiverClan warriors, and was great helping Mistyfoot with her litter.

"I'm sorry that's the decision you made. Your talents would have been a great asset to the Clan." Leopardstar bowed her head, but Sasha raised her paw to interrupt her.

"But I have talked it over with my kits, and they have both decided that they want to stay, and learn your ways to become the best warriors they can be. As long as I can visit them, then I will allow them to stay."

Leopardstar's eyes flashed, and Moth let out a mewl of joy, bouncing around her brother in a circle.

"Then we shall hold their apprentice ceremonies now…!" Leopardstar yowled, earning excited murmurs from the crowd. "Moth, step forward."

The dappled golden leader jumped down from her perch, landing lightly before the smaller she-cat. "From this moment forward, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Mothpaw. Shadefrost, Stonefur was your mentor, and I trust you to pass on all that you have learned to this young cat." Shadefrost's sapphire eyes glowed with pride as she stepped forward, bending to touch her nose to the golden tabby's.

"Hawk." Leopardstar continued, motioning the tom forward with a flick of her tail. "From this moment forward, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Hawkpaw. It has been many moons since we have had this many young cats to train, so I and my Deputy, Graystripe, will be sharing your mentorship. We will pass on all we know to you in due time, and both of you will be warriors that will forever change the way the forest looks at rogues."

"Hawkpaw! Mothpaw! Hawkpaw! Mothpaw!"

Willowpaw bounded forward and touched her nose to Mothpaw's, congratulating her warmly, while Divepaw and Splashpaw did much the same for Hawkpaw. Rushpaw stayed seated, tilting his head as he watched the new apprentices. They were strong, that much was certain, and already shaping into fine hunters… but he couldn't help but to agree with Redpaw. There was someone that Hawkpaw reminded him of… He just couldn't put his paw on it.

Graystripe shouldered his way over to the two toms, greeting Rushpaw with a polite nod before turning to Redpaw. "You'll be going to the Gathering tonight." He mewed, and to Rushpaw, "You, too. So make sure that you're ready by sunset. Leopardstar wants to leave early so she can talk to Lightningstar."

"Yes, Graystripe." Redpaw meowed, dipping his head. "Yes, Graystripe." Rushpaw echoed, before getting up.

"Well, I've got herbs to gather." He mewed, giving Redpaw a nudge. "Don't claw anyone's ears off, okay?"

Redpaw rolled his eyes, and Rushpaw padded away, meeting Mudfur at the Medicine Den. "Alright, Rushpaw." He called from inside their storage area. "We're short on tansy and thyme. You know where those grow, right?"

The tortoiseshell let out an exasperated sigh. "Yes, Mudfur, I know. You showed me moons ago."

"Good. We also need juniper berries. If Leopardstar can spare one, take another apprentice with you to help you carry them. We've only got two or three left of those herbs."

Rushpaw rolled his eyes, dreading having to bring another cat with him just to carry herbs. Redpaw was bound to be grumpy about Hawkpaw staying, Willowpaw had been chattering about battle training all day yesterday, so she certainly wouldn't want to go… And that left the four younger apprentices, or Hawkpaw and Mothpaw, who were bound to be busy getting their apprenticeship started. Pricklepaw was too loud, Splashpaw had a habit of sneak-attacking him at the most inconvenient times, and Divepaw… Rushpaw glanced around the camp. Divepaw and Stormfur were both gone.

_Divepaw's out training, so that leaves…_ He felt a strange energy run down his spine as he thought her name. _Duskpaw._

He shook his head, trying to shake the feeling from his fur. _What was that all about…? She's not any different from Pricklepaw, just quieter… Easier to talk to._

With a sigh, Rushpaw mumbled a quiet, "I'll be back" to Mudfur and padded off to find the black she-cat. It was easier than he thought it was going to be, spotting her lying in a patch of sunshine outside the apprentice's den.

"Duskpaw…!" He called, joining her outside the den. She blinked up at him with warm amber eyes.

"Hello, Rushpaw." She purred. "Isn't the new-leaf sun nice…?"

The medicine cat apprentice blinked, finding himself captivated by the dazzle of the sun on Duskpaw's sleek black fur.

"S-Sure." He muttered, shaking his head. "Listen, does Leopardstar have any jobs for you today?"

Duskpaw tilted her head. "No, not that I know of, why?"

Rushpaw took a deep breath. "Mudfur needs me to collect herbs, but since I have to get back in time to go to the gathering, he told me to bring another apprentice to help." Her ears pricked and she jumped up.

"Sure! It's better than laying around all day. You're so lucky you get to go to the gathering…" The tortoiseshell tom shrugged.

"I guess. They're not really that interesting." He mewed this as they padded out of the camp, heading towards the best place to find thyme. The tansy and juniper grew much closer together than the thyme, which grew much closer to the WindClan border.

"But you get to meet cats of all the other clans…"

"Cats you may have to fight one day." Rushpaw countered, scanning the slope for thyme. That seemed to put a stutter in her step, as she stopped to think about it. Rushpaw didn't wait, spotting the thyme with an exhale of, "There you are…!"

He scrabbled down the slope to bit off a few leaves, carefully not to damage them, and to leave plenty there to regrow.

"But you won't have to fight them." Duskpaw pointed out, joining him in nipping off one or two stems.

"Maybe, but medicine cats are different from warriors." He reminded her, gathering the thyme leaves in an easier to carry pile. "Our jobs are different from yours."

Duskpaw nodded, before bending and picking up the bundle herbs, flicking her ears as a signal for him to go on to the next spot. He did so, trekking back across the territory to where the tansy and juniper grew. It was already almost sunhigh…

Rushpaw stopped just shy of the shoreline, where a bush of juniper sat tucked against the roots of a willow, gingerly picking the berries that grew there. He noticed Duskpaw set the thyme down and pad away, but shrugged it off, thinking that she must have smelled something, or saw a brightly winged butterfly.

The tortoiseshell was surprised when as he finished picking his berries, the dark apprentice returned, dropping a plump fish at his feet. "I thought you may be hungry…" She mewed shyly, nudging it closer. He blinked a few times, before he rolled his eyes.

"You've done just as much as I have." He pointed out.

Her whiskers twitched in amusement. "Fine then." She mewed. "We'll share it."

Rushpaw rolled his eyes again, but scooted over to give the black she-cat room to crouch next to him, feeling electricity spark through his fur as their pelts brushed. Duskpaw jumped at the contact, and Rushpaw looked away, allowing her to eat her share first before finishing the fish. He hadn't realized how hungry he had actually been, though his mind was somewhere else entirely.

_What was that feeling…?_

He shook his head, standing back up and spotting his tansy. "Right." He mumbled. "Let's get this and go."

Duskpaw nodded, but didn't say anything, bending to pick up the bundles of thyme and juniper. Quickly gathering the tansy, Rushpaw lead the way back to camp. On the way, they passed by the training stream, where Hawkpaw and Leopardstar were locked in a practice fight—and it seemed that Hawkpaw was winning.

_You'd better watch who you make enemies of, Redpaw…_ Rushpaw thought darkly, looking away and continuing on the well-worn trail back to camp. _Hawkpaw is stronger than you think…_

When they reached the camp, Duskpaw followed him to the medicine den, depositing the herbs before meowing a hasty farewell and padding away, leaving Rushpaw standing there, staring after her disappearing tail-tip.

_What… Happened…?_

Bending to giving his chest fur a few quick licks, Rushpaw pushed it from his mind. There was a Gathering tonight. An important one. They were going to see Lightningstar in his position as leader for the first time, after giving them a moon or two to adjust to Clan ways.

_But how am I supposed to think about that, when I can't get her eyes out of my mind…?_

* * *

End of Chapter 6! I was going to try to put the gathering in this chapter, too, but oh well. Thanks to Cinderstar377 for reviewing:D Until chapter 7~!


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 has finally arrived! Sorry about the forever long wait… But it's here now!

Willowpaw felt a thrill of excitement as she waited beside Redpaw and Rushpaw at the lip of the hollow, eagerly awaiting Leopardstar's command to rush down into Fourtrees, where they could speak with the cats of the other clans. Redpaw seemed to share her excitement, his tail-tip twitching in anticipation. Finally, Leopardstar raised her tail, and RiverClan flowed into the clearing, joining WindClan and ShadowClan in the silvery light of the full moon.

"ShadowClan looks a lot stronger than I expected…" Willowpaw heard Blackclaw growl to Graystripe, who nodded, his amber eyes obviously seeking out ShadowClan's leader.

"Do you think they have any apprentices…?" Willowpaw whispered to Redpaw, who seemed to be sizing up the throng of ShadowClan warriors near them.

"Dunno." He shrugged, glancing around. "But Blackclaw is right… They're a lot stronger than we thought they would be. Let's follow Graystripe, I bet he's going to go talk with Lightningstar…"

Willowpaw felt her tail fluff with excitement. "Let's go…!"

Graystripe had only taken a step, Redpaw and Willowpaw close on his heels, when a quiet meow made them all turn around.

"These can't be the kits I rescued from that fox-hole when we fought Tigerstar…"

Standing before them was a dark gray tabby tom with steely blue-gray eyes and one black foreleg, and approaching beside him was the pale silver-and-black leader himself.

"They are indeed, Sleetfur, and my how they've grown…"

Graystripe stepped forward to dip his head respectfully towards the cat that Willowpaw assumed to be Lightningstar, before flicking his ears curiously at the dark gray tabby beside him.

"It's good to see you, Lightningstar. And…?"

Willowpaw tilted her head curiously, watching the exchange carefully. "My deputy." Lightningstar rumbled. "And friend, Sleetfur."

"Oh!" Willowpaw remembered with sudden clarity the dark tabby who had ushered her on behind the more hasty paces of Stonefur and Mistyfoot, his ink-black leg and distinctive gray eyes triggering her memory. The older cats all turned to look at her, as did Redpaw, and she scuffled her paws in embarrassment. "Sorry." She mewed, before dipping her head to Sleetfur. "I remember now. You kept us from getting too close to the battle when Stonefur and Mistyfoot joined in, and told us not to be scared…"

Sleetfur nodded, and Lightningstar purred in amusement. "It's good to know that our younger generations will remember kindness from my Clan."

"So you're doing well then…? In ShadowClan?" Graystripe tilted his head curiously, and Lightningstar purred.

"Very well." The tabby flicked his tail towards a small group of cats who couldn't be any older than Willowpaw and Redpaw themselves. "The prey is plentiful and our apprentices and warriors are thriving and strong."

Blackclaw dipped his head in agreement. "They look great. And your queens…?"

Willowpaw had to stifle a purr. Blackclaw was a great father, despite his prickly disposition, and she always found it amusing when he let that softer side of his shine through. Redpaw rolled his eyes while Lightningstar answered, and Sleetfur seemed to pick up on his exasperation.

"Come with me." He meowed quietly, flicking Redpaw's shoulder with his tail tip, and motioning to Willowpaw with his ears. "I'll introduce you to some of our apprentices." Redpaw let out a mumble of, "Finally…!" and Willowpaw shook her head, amused. The ShadowClan deputy pushed his way through the throngs of mingling cats, bringing them to where a couple of apprentice-sized cats were talking. Willowpaw picked up scents of both ShadowClan and WindClan, and recognized the pale gray and white pelt of Skypaw, who she had met at the last Gathering. Beside her was another WindClan apprentice, a tom with dark gray-black fur and blue eyes. The ShadowClan apprentices, distinguishable by their slightly rogue-slightly ShadowClan scent, all dipped their heads respectfully as Sleetfur approached, and deputy dipped his own head in turn.

"Greetings. Are you enjoying yourselves?" A pale silvery-gray tabby tom answered warmly, his eyes bright.

"Yes, a lot!" Skypaw purred in amusement, and his ShadowClan companions nodded their agreement.

"Everyone here is so nice…" These words were spoken by a pretty white she-cat, who sat beside the silver tabby, her tail curled neatly around her paws and her pale green eyes sharp and shining.

"That's good to hear." Sleetfur nodded towards Redpaw and Willowpaw in turn, explaining, "These are a pair of excellent RiverClan apprentices, Redpaw and Willowpaw." Willowpaw felt her ears grow hot, and she kneaded the ground self-consciously. "Redpaw, Willowpaw, this is Hailpaw," he indicated the silver tabby, and he meowed a greeting. Next he indicated the white she-cat, "Icepaw," she dipped her head politely, and Willowpaw did the same. "And Blinkpaw." The last mentioned was a small, jet-black tom with ice-blue eyes, who echoed the white she-cat in dipping his head. This time, Redpaw returned the gesture.

"Nice to meet you." Willowpaw could see the competitive set of Redpaw's shoulders, and she inwardly sighed. _Toms…_

"You, too." Blinkpaw mewed quietly. "We were wondering if we would meet you here. Lightningstar has great respect for your Clan and leader." Willowpaw felt chilled by the silky, ice-like tone that the small tom spoke with, but Redpaw didn't seem to be affected, so she let it go, forcing her fur to stay smooth. Skypaw began to speak up, only to be cut off by a flood of ThunderClan cats rushing into the clearing. They had gone through a lot as well, Willowpaw thought, to have lost their deouty in the vicious fight against Tigerstar.

At their head was of course Firestar, followed closely by a dark brown tabby tom that Willowpaw assumed to be the new deputy. Before the battle, Whitestorm was known as one of the best warriors in the forest, along with her father and Tigerstar's old deputy Blackfoot.

"It looks like the gathering is about to start." She whispered to Redpaw. "We should go find Rushpaw." Redpaw nodded, meowing a quick farewell to the other apprentices before slipping quietly through the crowd to where they could just make out their brothers dark tortoiseshell pelt.

"Hey." Redpaw mewed, giving Rushpaw a gentle head-butt in greeting. "We just met some of the ShadowClan apprentices, and-"

"Cats of all Clans! Welcome! It is time for this gathering to begin!"

Willowpaw swatted her brother over the ear as Tallstar began speaking, sitting on Rushpaw's other side and hissing quietly for the reddish brown tom to shove a fish in it. Rushpaw rolled his eyes. He seemed grumpy… er.

"A lot has happened in the forest recently," Leopardstar announced, and while I'm anxious to hear from ShadowClan, I would like to begin by announcing that Mistyfoot has had a new litter of kits." A ripple of "awws" spread across the clearing. Mistyfoot was popular among all the clans, especially the other queens. "We have also made four new apprentices, Pricklepaw, Divepaw, Splashpaw, and Duskpaw." This news was met with a congratulatory consent from the gathered cats, but silence fell as she raised her tail, continuing. "And we have welcomed two more apprentices, Hawkpaw and Mothpaw." Redpaw stiffened on the other side of Rushpaw, and Willowpaw felt the urge to swipe him over the ears again. There was no reason to be spiteful towards two cats he hardly knew!

"That is all from RiverClan, so Lightningstar, please, let us know how ShadowClan is doing."

Lightningstar purred a soft thank-you, before stepping forward. "First, I'm glad to hear how well RiverClan is recovering from Tigerstar's tyranny. Before, as rogues, we knew his power to its full extent, and suffered side by side with RiverClan through his bloody rule."

Leopardstar dipped her head, a thank-you and a recognition of friendship between their clans, then Lightningstar continued.

"I have made my journey to Mothermouth, and received my nine lives and name. ShadowClan's deputy is now Sleetfur." The sleek tabby stood as he was recognized, then sat, and approving nods could be seen all around Fourtrees. He definitely looked the part, though younger than most. "We have many new warriors and apprentices, and those of us who have stayed have all sworn to uphold your warrior code, and we hope to make faint, if not completely erase- the terrible scars and darkness left by the leaders of ShadowClan's past. This, I promise, as the leader of ShadowClan."

With that, he stepped back, earning a roar of approving yowls. IF there was one thing the forest needed, it was a leader like Lightningstar to head the formerly malevolent ShadowClan. Maybe now the cold north wind would leave the Clans in peace.

When Firestar spoke, he announced the appointment of Dustpelt as the new deputy, and Tallstar's only concern was a fox sighting. The Clans had never been so peaceful before, Willowpaw realized as the gathering came to a close. But as she looked at Rushpaw, she felt a stutter of uncertainty in her heart, her brother's clear, bright blue gaze dark and troubled.

The Clans may be peaceful now, but deep down, Willowpaw had a feeling that it wouldn't stay that way for long. And by the shudder that went down Rushpaw's spine as she gently pressed her side against his, she had a feeling that he felt the exact same way.

* * *

Rushpaw shuddered, pushing his flank closer to Willowpaw's as he blinked hard to erase the image from his mind. It was to jumbled to describe it, but filled with enough blood to make him sick to his stomach. Everything should have been peaceful. Tigerstar was dead. But glancing up at the stars, which seemed faint and splotchy compared to the cold silver light of the moon, the small medicine cat felt a chill of foreboding creep up his spine. Something was coming. Something dark and terrible. It was his job to know, to warn his clan… But every time he tried to reach farther, to see the meaning, the sound of rain muffled his senses. The sound of rain and the feel of cold broken ground under his paws.

_StarClan…_ He thought desperately. _I don't understand! What… What are you trying to tell me…?!_

The only answer he got was the rumble of thunder in the distance.

Okay! So this only took 300 years to get here… I could tell you everything that's been going on, but you probably don't really care, so I'll spare you and just say AP and a temporarily broken(but now fixed xD) laptop! Woo! Lol. So, I hope you haven't given up on this one (I sure haven't!) and thanks again for reading! (And the patience, of course). Lots of love!


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